WELCOME TO THE HOME OF THE WASHINGTON, DC CHAPTER OF THE ROCKS, INC.

1974-2015 (41 Years!)

Thank you for visiting our Homepage!

The Washington, DC Chapter of The ROCKS,Inc. provides mentorship, scholarship, fellowship, and professional development to National Capital Region ROTC Cadets, active duty and reserve component commissioned officers, warrant officers and GS-12 civilians and above. Our activities support the missions of the National Board of The ROCKS, Inc., the U.S. Army and other United States Uniformed Services. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events as we celebrate 41 years!

DC CHAPTER ROCKS 24th 5-Mile Race/2-Mile Walk

In Honor of 41 Years as a Chapter

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Washington, D.C. Chapter of The ROCKS, Inc would like to thank all who will participate in and support the 24th Annual Washington, D.C. Chapter 5-Mile Run/2-Mile Walk at Burke Lake Park on Saturday, 19 September 2015. With over 223 participants last year, including ROTC cadets from George Mason University, Norfolk State University, James Madison University, Virginia Military Institute, Hampton University, Howard University, Morgan State Universiy and Bowie State University our race continues to grow! This is indeed an excellent race and an overall successful event!! Special thanks to the committee, led by COL(R) Andre Barnes and COL(R) Al Schencke, LTC(R) Rob Gary, CPT Rowan Pruitt, the squad of cadets from Howard University, the George Mason University Color Guard, and Ms. Sharene Cook, along with her team from WSC Associates.

Thanks to Brigadier General Frank M. Muth for being the guest race starter in 2014!

Congratulations to the George Mason Patriots for winning the ROTC Challenge again!!

Special thanks and great appreciation also goes out to Mark Russell and the staff at Metro Run and Walk for providing run support and use of their facility for race packet preparation and pick-up, Randy Skovrinski and his team from U Start I Finish for start/finish line operations and race results, the Burke Volunteer Fire Department, and the staff at Burke Lake Park for their outstanding support and use of the park facilities.

Again, thanks and congratulations to all who participated, volunteered, donated, the winners, and the supporters for a fun, safe, and well executed event! I am looking forward to seeing you all out there again next year J

The African American Experience Fund (AAEF) of the National Park Foundation needs your help to preserve the history, home and legacy of Charles Young, an American hero.

On March 25, 2013, President Barack Obama designated Colonel Young’s home as a national historic site: theCharles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monumentin Wilberforce, Ohio. Today, yourhelp is needed to preserve and develop this great American story which is also the potential future site of the Colonel Charles Young Leadership Academy.

Charles Young was the third African American to graduate from West Point Military Academy; a Military Science and Tactics instructor at Wilberforce University; a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity; the first African American Military Attache, the first foreign diplomat from any nation to serve in Haiti; the first African American National Park Superintendent (Sequoia and General Grant National Parks in California), the first African American Colonel in the United States Army, and the highest ranking African American officer in World War I.

Young's home in Wilberforce, Ohio was a hub for intellectual discourse and the arts, fueled by his close friendships with the renowned poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and pioneering sociologist, W.E.B. Dubois. Charles Young was an accomplished composer and musician who played the piano, violin, and cornet. He was an accomplished linguist who mastered German, Italian, Spanish, Latin and Greek. He was a living testament to the regimental mottoes of the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry troops he commanded, the legendary Buffalo Soldiers, with their stalwart cry “We Can, We Will!” and “Ready and Forward!”

Your contribution will help establish the Youth LeadershipAcademy, where youth will study multi-disciplinary curricula that focuses on leadership through mentoring by Omega Psi Phi fraternity members, retired U.S. military officers, educators, preservationists, business leaders and historians. This program will inspire young leaders, cultivate future park stewards, rangers and staff through community service, to follow in the footsteps of an “officer and a gentleman” who never wavered in his pursuit of excellence. One who captured that hard won brilliance and held it aloft as a beacon for all to see; that genius is not always a gift, sometimes it’s a goal, cold and remote as a mountaintop.

41st ANNUAL SPRING GALA AND AWARDS CEREMONY

The 41st Annual Spring Gala and Awards Ceremony will be hosted by The ROCKS, Inc. and Washington, D.C. Chapter of The ROCKS, Inc. on April 18, 2015 at Embassy Suite Springfield, 8100 Loisdale Road, Springfield, Va.

The ROCKS, Inc. was approved in June 2014 as a Commemorative Partner in support of the Vietnam War 50th Commemoration.The ROCKS, Inc. is among more than 7,000 Commemorative Partners all across America assisting a grateful Nation in thanking and honoring our Vietnam Veterans and their families.Especially families who lost loved ones during the Vietnam War.

Vietnam Veterans and their families will receive special recognition for their service and sacrifice at the 41st Annual Spring Gala.Please let us know if you are Vietnam Veteran (served in the Vietnam War in Vietnam), Vietnam Era Soldier (was on duty during Vietnam- but did not serve in Vietnam), a Spouse, a Son or a Daughter of Vietnam Veteran that was KIA, MIA or POW when you register for the gala at the link above.

Congratulations!

The 2014 ROCKs of the Year and Honorary ROCK of the Year Awardees for The ROCKS, Inc.:

OFFICER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The OPD held on 7 February 2013 led by BG Gwen Bingham, Commanding General, US Army White Sands Missile Range (ATEC) was excellent at Fort Belvoir. She provided valuable military and life long experience that all could take away. Click the button below to view the brief she gave. Please pay close attention to BG Bigham's Top 10 Plus 2 at slide 8 (DO THE RIGHT THING….EVEN WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING…"AUDIO MUST MATCH VIDEO!”). Thank you BG Bingham for always BEING willing to participate!

41st Annual West Hamilton Dinner, Chapter Fall Awards Ceremony and

Silent Auction

in Honor of 41 Years

October 24, 2015

G O O D F O O D!!! F E L L O W S H I P !!! R E C O G N I T I O N !!!

This event will raise scholarship funds for highly qualified graduating JROTC high school seniors and ROTC College freshmen and other programs sponsored by the chapter. Awards presented at the event (2014) are the DC Chapter Voluntarism Award, DC Chapter Robert "Bobby" Burke Award, DC Chapter Junior ROCK of the Year, DC Chapter ROCK of the Year, and Lifetime of Leadership Award.

Thank you all for your support of the 41st Annual West Hamilton Membership Dinner set for 24 OCT 15 starts at 6:00pm at the Embassy Suites Springfield (5 mins from Fort Belvoir), 8100 Loisdale Road, Springfield Va 22150, (571)-339-2000. We have rooms blocked for this event. Please call to make your reservation.

It will be an evening of fun and excitement. It is with your support that the event will be successful. So, we thank you again on behalf of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of The ROCKS, Inc. We will have child care (five and older) (provided by the chapter) for free.

Please click on this link to register: TBE

Agenda:

Chairperson and MC is Kim McGhee

6-7 pm President Reception and Silent Auction in the Gardener Room

7-8 pm Social Hour-"Networking and Mentoring"

8:00 pm Program Starts-Opening Remarks by the President -in the Ballroom

8:15 pm Invocation

8:17 pm Buffet Dinner with "Wrinkles"

9:15 pm Awards, Silent Auction Results and Payment

9:30 pm Benediction

9:32 pm Closing Remarks by the President

9:33-11 pm Dancing

Buffet Dinner Menu:

Wrinkles "Chitterlings"

Salad

Potato Salad

Corn Bread

Fried Fish

BBQ Pork

Southern Fried Chicken

Mac and Cheese

Collard Greens

Assorted Dessert

Rolls, Tea and Coffee

Free Child Care (five and older)-- In the suite- starts at 5 pm and ends at 11 pm. Please let Kim McGhee know if you need child care at kim.mcghee1@gmail.com.

The National Board of the ROCKS Inc. approved the publication of a book entitled The ROCKS Inc.: A Historical Journey From 1974 – 2014. The revenue from the sales of this book will be the major fundraiser for The National Board and the 23 ROCKS chapters and 7 interest groups.

This extraordinary project will capture the legacy in pictures, biographies and short stories of ROCKS members, including those who have become 4-Star General Officers, ROCKS and Honorary ROCKS of the Year, and members of ROCKS Chapter and Interest Groups. The book will also display ROCKS activities such as the Biennial Conference and Annual Spring Gala and many other contributions made by our members.

We are currently in the fundraising phase of this project and we request that you favorably consider pledging $10 per month for 12 months or make a one-time payment of $120 to support the Journey project. Upon receipt of your pledge a small ROCKS gift will be forwarded to you with a letter of thanks.

There are three ways for you to participate:

Make a one-time payment of $120 online at www.rocksinc.org (Click on “Donations”), or

Download the Pledge Form located on the home page of our website at www.rocksinc.org and mail it with your $120 check/money order/credit card information, or

To set up automatic monthly payments of $10, download the ROCKS Journey Pledge Form, select “I hereby authorize The ROCKS, Inc. to charge my credit card for $10 per month for 12 months beginning ____________ (mm/dd/yyyy) and ending on _______________(mm/dd/yyyy).”, fill in dates, billing information and return to our office either by fax, email, or regular mail.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office at 301-856-9319 or toll-free at Toll Free (888) 762-5747. Thank you in advance for your participation and support.

News Channel 7's Mr. Dave Lucas was our Golf Marshal and he played in the tournament on 14 JUN 14 (SAT.) Dave is one of the main anchors on channel 7 and he is also the host of the golf show Capital Golf Weekly. Thanks to Ms. Abby Fenton, Director of Community Relations ABC7/WJLA-TV and Mr. Leon Harris, News Channel 7 for assisting with having Dave as our Marshal. The Marshal opened the event with words of welcome and he assisted us in given out the awards at the end. We will have a day party with a DJ and we will sponsor wounded warriors, the complementary beverage cart will be a hit and food shown below will be served as a buffet:

7. Bounce Back and Play at Ospreys'- each golfer will get a coupon to cover green fees (does not including cart fees of $21.00) valued at $38.00. The Osprey's Golf Club at Belmont Bay, 401 Belmont Bay Drive, Woodbridge, Va 22191

8. 4 Box Seats Tickets with Parking in the Garage at the Nats vs Braves game on 20 JUN 14--Capital One Bank for the first place team

9. Prince William Engraving & Awards, Inc. with 26% discount on the trophies in order to support a hole and military discount.

10. The Park at Fourteenth at 14 and I in DC - 4 gift certificates valued at $30.00 each.

11. Best Buy on Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge. They will have volunteers to come out to work, give electronic items away, print photos on the spot and give to you for free and donate $250.00 or $500.00.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DONATIONS provide necessary funds for our Scholarship and Operating Funds as well as the chapter Endowment Fund. Click here to DONATE NOW. Thank you in advance for your support!

It is never to late to donate!
--Author Unknown-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The chapter performs COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS bi-annually. Please stand by for additional information, dates and times.

The Washington, D.C. Chapter of The ROCKS, Inc. and family members will participate in the 28th Annual "We Feed Our People Project" on 19 JAN 15 (Monday) at 0900 -1600 in Anacostia at The Big Chair: Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave, SE and V Street, SE Washington, D.C. 20020. Pre-registered NOT required. Come at anytime you like or stay the whole day. We are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday/holiday and he would have been 86 years old. There will be several volunteers on site and even more behind the scene from different organizations. We would like to thank several DC Chapter members that has helped out in the past years and this year.

More than a day off, is the catalyst behind the community based coalition of concerned individuals and organizations formed in Washington, DC in 1988 to commemorate the works and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by reaching out to those most vulnerable the homeless. We Feed Our People (WFOP) provides a nutritious meal and warm clothing for homeless citizens in the nation's capitol as a way to keep the work of a great hero alive.

Mr. Walt McGill, one of the originators and founders for the project will be on hand working with some of the other originators and founders.

Thanks!

Conrado B. Morgan, President, 910-824-1911

The Washington, D.C. Chapter of The ROCKS, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization comprised of active duty, reserve, retired and former commissioned and warrant officers of the U.S. Armed Forces, widows and widowers of deceased members, cadets, other uniformed services and GS 12 and above. The organization was formed to provide professional and social interaction and development to strengthen the officer corps. In addition to the R. C. Cartwright Scholarship Fund, the "Leadership Outreach" program provides the opportunity for teams consisting of ROCKS members to visit Colleges and Universities to provide professional career development guidance to ROTC students. DISCLAIMER:The Washington, DC Chapter of the ROCKS, Inc. is a private organization, not affiliated with any DoD Installation or the US Military. The organization is open to all. This website does not express or imply an endorsement of any products, services, or firms by the DoD or the federal government.